Also, if you want the hints of anise and wintergreen that dihydroanethole has, better brewing supply houses carry anise and wintergreen (I can even get BOTH of those spices at my local Fred Meyers in the natural food section).

Why in the world would you want to buy a chemical used extensively by perfumers and the tobacco industry to "flavor" cigarettes in your brew?

If you sell your root beer, the use of sassafras is illegal because the FDA deems it carcinogenic.

iolar wrote:

Also, if you want the hints of anise and wintergreen that dihydroanethole has, better brewing supply houses carry anise and wintergreen (I can even get BOTH of those spices at my local Fred Meyers in the natural food section).

Why in the world would you want to buy a chemical used extensively by perfumers and the tobacco industry to "flavor" cigarettes in your brew?

You don't know "exclusively" because it is impossible to take an exhaustive survey of root beer manufacturers. Dihydroanethol is less toxic than safrole and, unlike sassafras, it is legal to sell food flavored with dihydroanethol.

And, for only $2.50 you can buy enough dihydroanethol to make 350 gallons of root beer.